Water meter



June 23, 1925. 1,543,198

M. l. WALTERS WATER METER v I Filed Sept. 12, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented June 23, 1925.

Tz'IARION I. WALTERS, OF VJASIIINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

WATER METER.

IApplication filed September 12, 1823. Serial No. 652,239;

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that MARION I. hummus,

a citizenof the United .States of America,

residing at Vv ashington, District of Columbia, has invented certainnew and use fulimprovements in lVater Meters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in water meters and more particularly to that class of water meters used for measuring the velocity of flow in rivers and streams.

One object of my invention is to provide means whereby the recording mechanism. may be readily adjusted for high or low velocities. v I

Another object of my invention is to provide a compact instrument whichwill be suitable for carrying around in the field and at the same time give ahigh degree of accuracy. 7

Other and more specific objects-will be in part obvious and in part described as the,v

specification is proceeded with.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation'of my invention; I r Figure 2 is an enlarged detail longitudinal section through Figure'l; v I

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; p

Figure 4 is'a section onthe line l4 of Figure 1; j V

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5- -5 of Figure 1; and I I f I Figure 6 is a section on the line G6 of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1, denotes a tubular open ended casing adapt-ed to house the propeller shaft 2. Inserted in the forward or propeller end of the tubular casing 1, is a small bearing barrel 3, through which the threaded end 4, of the propeller shaft extends and is in turn threaded into the propeller hub 5, the blades 6, of which are of a pitch to allow for greatest ease in turning so that low as well as high velocities may be observed with accuracy.

Roller bearings 7, are held in place in the barrel about the shaft 2, by means of circular end piece 8, fitting into the end of barrel and pinned therein at 9. hen

point bearing 12.

the barrel is insertedinto the casing the pin .9 1S held against displacement.

A set screw 10, 15 adapted to fasten. the

barrel 3, securely in the casing. A collar 11' on the )roJeller shaft irevents relative outward longitud nal movement of the latter with respect to the barrel, and set screw 10,

when in place serves to prevent withdrawal of the shaft from the casing 1, as well as serving ,to secure the barrel in the casing. It will be readily understood, that the-roller bearings '7, take the vertical thrust of the propeller shaft, the end thrust of which'is taken care of by means of a thrustscrew i This point bearing which screws into a plug 13, removably held in the outer end of the casing 1, by a set screw 17, engages with its pointed end 1st, in the tapered recess 15, formed in the outer end of the propeller shaft. A lock nut 16,

serves to lock the point bearing in any de-v sired adjusted position. 7 I

A balancing yoke member 19,.-1s formed at its front and rear ends with tubular sockin place by a set screw 2 1. This plug 20,

is slotted at its outer end as atv 25, to receive the ends of the vanes 26, of the-meter tail 27. The vanes 26, two in nun'iber'and arranged at an angle of degrees one to 'the other, are secured together by angle brackets 28. The central portion of the yoke member 19, is slotted 'as at 28, and is formed with two upstanding apertured-ears 30, positioned on opposite sides of the slot. 'A flat bar,

31, which forms a combined hanger and support for the meter, projects through the slot 28, and is pivotally secured between the cars 30, by means of a screw 32, passing through the bar and through the apertures 33, in the ears 30. The upper end of the bar 81, is formed with an eye 3-4, to which a cable 35, may be attached for lowering the meter into a river or stream, and the lower portion of the bar is provided with apertures 36, for the reception of weight screws 87.

The casing 1, previously described is provided midway of its length with an upstanding box like housing 38, having a re movable screw cap 39, to facilitate access to the interior thereof. A shaft 40, extending transversely of the housing 38, and tubular casing 1, is supported at its opposite pointed ends in the recessed ends of aligned bearing adjusting screws 41, extending through op posite sides of the housing. Fixedly mounted on the shaft 40, is a worm wheel 42, which extends partially through an opening 4C3, into the interior of the tubular casing l, Where it meshes with the worm 44;, formed on the propeller shaft 2. After the transverse shaft 40, has been adjusted by means of the bearing screws 41, the latter are locked in adjusted position by means of lock nuts e5.

Mounted on opposite sides of the worm wheel 42, are two sets of small protruding steel contact pins 46 and 47 respectively, evenly spaced apart in the circumference of a circle. The number 'of the pins of one set varies from that of the other set so that the recording may be for either low or high velocities, as will presently be explained.

The housing or chamber 38, has a small opening 48, in the rear wall thereof for the reception of an electric contact plug 49, the plug being provided with a rubber insulating nipple 50. Suitably connected to the forward end of the contact plug are two flexible contact springs or wires 51 and adapted to engage with their forward bent ends the respective pins l6 and 4:7 on the worm wheel 42, as the latter is revolved by the propeller shaft 2. Either contact spring may be thrown out of engagement by slightly bending the spring to be disengaged so that only one set of contact pins engage its respective spring in actual use. The springs 51 and 52 are preferably mad-e of copper wire or like material which will permit of the springs being bent to the desired shape and which will insure the springs remaining out of contact with the pins when bent'to proper position.

A copper wire 53, secured in a recess 54, in

the rear end of the contact plug 49, connects with a telephone receiver attachment not shown) or other instrument whereby the user may be accurately informed as to the number of rotations of the worm wheel within a given time. It will of course, be understood that an impulse will be transmitted to the receiver each time one of the springs 5152 engage one of the pins l6 47.

From the foregoing it is thought the operation of the invention will be understood, but the operation may be briefly described as follows: The meter is let down into the of course be understood that the spring on that side of the worm wheel having the greater number of contact pins must be 'moved to inoperative position and the spring on the other side moved to operative position where a high velocity is to be measured and that where a low velocity is to be measured, the springs must be moved reversely to that, described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

A water meter comprising a horizontally disposed tubular casing open at its ends, said-casing having an upwardly projecting housing, said housing having an opening communicating with the interior of the casing, a shaft having pointed ends extending transversely of said housing, adjustable screw bearings having recesses in their ends for receiving the ends of said transverse shaft, a worm wheel fixed to said'transverse shaft, said casing having roller bearings at its front end, and a'plug in the other end thereof, an adjustable screw bearing mounted in said plug and having a conical point, a propeller shaft, supported at opposite ends by said roller bearing and said point bearing, said propeller shaft having a worm intermediate its ends meshing with said worm wheel, and a propeller for rotating said propeller shaft.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

MARION I. WALTERS. 

